President Lazarus Chakwera, who was leading a state funeral service for the departed Vice President, late Saulos Klaus Chilima, delivered his eulogy in the afternoon of Sunday, 16 June 2024 conveying a message of hope into discovering the incidents that led to the tragic aviation accident in Chikangawa forest.
Chakwera delivered his eulogy in vernacular stating that the investigations will be conducted by expertise in an impartial and transparent manner, highlighting that the President has already engaged other countries with capacity of aviation accidents investigations for their expertise contribution:
"Ndipo ndikukutsimikizirani aMalawi nonse lero kuti ngozi imeneyi ifufuzidwa mosabisa komanso mwapadela. Ndawapempha kale amayiko akunja kuti atithandize kumbali imeneyi".
The Malawi leader acknowledged the process that the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) is obliged to undertake in such incidents, adding that despite the investigations that the MDF will undertake, investigations by independent third parties are crucial for bolstering confidence in the outcome:
"Ndikudziwa kuti a Malawi Defense Force ali ndi ndondomeko yawo yofufuza kuti chinagwetsa ndege yawo ndichani, koma kafukufuku ofunikira kwambiri ndiopanga anthu ena apadela kuti aMalawi onse apeze mayankho okhulupirika, chifukwa nzosakwanila kuti MDF izifufuze yokha", the President said.
Further in his eulogy, President Chakwera extended condolences to the members of the UTM, a political party that the late Chilima founded and led, acknowledging their immeasurable pain occasioned by the sudden departure of their leader:
"Kuwawa komwe mukumva inu a chipani cha UTM ndikuwawa kopangitsa munthu kuthedwa nzeru, chifukwa kuluza Pulezidenti ndi Founder wachipani chanu ndi chinthu chopweteka kwambiri. Pepani. Pepani. Chisoni chomwe muli nacho lero inu a Malawi, makamaka inu achinyamata amene mu utsogoleri wa Saulos Chilima mumaonamo tsogolo lanu, labwino, lowala ndi chisoni cholemetsa, chifukwa imfa imeneyi yabweretsa mdima ovuta kuchotsa. Pepani. Pepani. Mulungu akumva ululu wanu nonse, ndipo misozi yomwe mukulira akuyilandira ngati mapemphero anu, ndipo ndiri ndi chikhulupiliro kuti mapemphero amene ali mmisozi yanu, Ambuye ayankha munthawi yake", said the President amidst ululation and chants from the UTM youths and sympathizers seated in the stadium stands.
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Extending his plea, President Chakwera requested the general public and called upon his supporters to desist from pushing back against any sad sentiments that mourners may exhibit in their grief for the death of their leader.
"Pempho langa lachiwiri ndi loti tipitirize kuyang'anirana wina ndi mzache. Pa maliro aakulu ngati amenewa komanso imfa yadzidzi ngati imeneyi, zolakwilana sizilephera kukhalapo. Mukulira kwathu sitilephera kulakwilana mmaganizo, mmayankhulidwe, ndi mmachitidwe, koma chonde tiyeni tisazitengere ku mtima chifukwa izi zimachitika chifukwa chaululu omwe tikusowa nawo chochita. Olo ine ndemwe ndikudziwa kuti ino ndinthawi yoti ndivomeleze kutukwanidwa ndikunyozedwa chifukwa kholo lomwe likuyenera kuvomereza kulira kwa aliyense ndi ineyo, ndiye chonde sindikufuna kuti wina abwezere mzake zowawa chifukwa cha amene asankha kuti kulira kwawo aphatikizemo mau ondipezera ine zifukwa", the President said, adding that:
"Olira sitimawatseka pakamwa, chifukwa mukuliramo Mulungu amakhalanso akutitonthoza ndipo ife mbali yathu ikhalenso kutonthozana osati kubwezerana zowawa, chifukwa nkhondo siimanga mudzi."
